The Infinite Monkey Cage

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. Joined by a panel of scientists, experts and celebrity science enthusiasts they investigate life, the universe and everything in between on The Infinite Monkey Cage from the BBC.

From the smallest building blocks of life to the furthest stars, the curious monkeys pull apart the latest science to reveal fascinating and often bizarre insights into the world around us and what lies beyond. Can trees talk to each other? Can science help you commit the perfect murder? What might aliens look like and the burning question of our time, are strawberries alive or dead? Join them as each episode they put a different scientific topic under the microscope, from aliens, black holes and hedgehogs, to bacteria, poison and the Big Bang. With past guests including actors Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart, comedians Steve Martin and Conan O’Brien, astronaut Tim Peake, primatologist Jane Goodall and mathematician Hannah Fry, The Infinite Monkey Cage promises to make you laugh, enrich your knowledge and leave you with a deeper appreciation for the universe that we call home. Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or someone who nodded off in physics class, listen in to learn all about funny, fascinating and sometimes ridiculous topics – with the occasional monkey business.

Categories: Science & Medicine

Listen to the last episode:

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the history of music recording, joined by acoustics professor Trevor Cox, music professor Sam Bennett and musician and producer Brian Eno. Together they guide us through the evolution of sound recording, a space in which technology hasn’t stood still since its advent in the mid-1800s. We hear the very first recognisable recording of a voice made with a brush making marks in soot and put a spotlight on the Fairlight CMI, a revolutionary digital synthesizer of the '70s, used in Brian’s records (Cox & Eno’s!)

Plus, we run an audio experiment with our live audience who turn themselves into our in-house digital orchestra, with the help of their mobile phones. Now that lots of people have several devices that can play sound, new technology is harnessing this to create a more immersive experience – which (kind of) worked in our experiment!

Producer: Melanie Brown Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Previous episodes

  • 237 - The Sound of Music - Brian Eno, Sam Bennett and Trevor Cox 
    Wed, 19 Mar 2025
  • 236 - Saturn v Jupiter - Katherine Parkinson, Paul Abel and Michele Dougherty 
    Wed, 12 Mar 2025
  • 235 - Adventures on Ice - Darren Harriott, Liz Morris, Christoph Salzmann and Felicity Aston 
    Wed, 05 Mar 2025
  • 234 - How selfish are we really? - Jo Brand, Matti Wilks and Steve Jones 
    Wed, 26 Feb 2025
  • 233 - Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Phil Wang, Ana Ferreira and Chris Jackson 
    Wed, 19 Feb 2025
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